2010 FIFA World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup
, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa
from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA
, selected South Africa over Egypt
and Morocco
to become the first African nation to host the finals.
The matches were played in ten stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City
stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg
. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament
that began in August 2007. In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin
groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage
, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final
.
In the final, Spain
, the European champions, defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands
1–0 after extra time, with Andrés Iniesta
's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, the first time that a European nation has won the tournament outside its home continent. Host nation South Africa
, 2006
world champions Italy
and 2006 runners-up France
were all eliminated in the first round of the tournament. It was the first time that the hosts were eliminated in the first round.
, Morocco
, South Africa
and a joint bid from Libya
and Tunisia
.
Following the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee not to allow co-hosted tournaments, Tunisia withdrew from the bidding process. The committee also decided not to consider Libya's solo bid as it no longer met all the stipulations laid down in the official List of Requirements.
The winning bid was announced by FIFA president Sepp Blatter
at a media conference on 15 May 2004 in Zürich
; in the first round of voting South Africa received 14 votes, Morocco received 10 votes and Egypt no votes. South Africa, which had narrowly failed to win the right to host the 2006 event, was thus awarded the right to host the tournament.
During 2006 and 2007, rumours circulated in various news sources that the 2010 World Cup could be moved to another country. Franz Beckenbauer
, Horst R. Schmidt and, reportedly, some FIFA
executives, expressed concern over the planning, organisation, and pace of South Africa's preparations. FIFA officials repeatedly expressed their confidence in South Africa as host, stating that a contingency plan existed only to cover natural catastrophes, as had been in place at previous FIFA World Cups.
on 25 November 2007. As the host nation, South Africa
qualified automatically for the tournament. As happened in the previous tournament
, the defending champions were not given an automatic berth, and Italy
had to participate in qualification. With a pool of entrants comprising 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams at the time, the 2010 World Cup shares with the 2008 Summer Olympics
the record for most competing nations in a sporting event.
Some controversies took place during the qualifications. In the second leg of the play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland
, French captain Thierry Henry
, unseen by the referee, handled the ball in the lead up to a late goal, which enabled France to qualify ahead of Ireland, sparking widespread controversy and debate. FIFA rejected a request from the Football Association of Ireland
to replay the match, and Ireland later withdrew a request to be included as an unprecedented 33rd World Cup entrant. As a result, FIFA announced a review into the use of technology or extra officials at the highest level, but decided against the widely expected fast-tracking of goal-line referee's assistants for the South African tournament.
Costa Rica
complained over Uruguay
's winning goal in the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF playoff, while Egypt and Algeria's November 2009 matches
were surrounded by reports of crowd trouble.
On the subject of fair play, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said:
The 2010 tournament was the first World Cup not to feature any team making its debut appearance (Slovakia had not previously appeared under that name, but is considered by FIFA to be a continuation of the Czechoslovakia team that last played in the 1990 tournament). North Korea qualified for the first time since 1966; Honduras and New Zealand were both making their first appearances since 1982, and Algeria were at the Finals for the first time since the 1986 competition.
AFC
(4) (20) (45) (105) (47)
CAF
(6) (30) (19) (27) (32) (21) (83) (hosts)
CONCACAF
(3) (38) (17) (14)
CONMEBOL
(5) (7) (1) (18) (31) (16)
OFC
(1) (78)
UEFA
(13) (36) (8) (9) (6) (13) (5) (4) (3) (15) (34) (25) (2) (24)
8.4 billion (just over US$
1 billion or €950 million).
South Africa also improved its public transport
infrastructure within the host cities, including Johannesburg's Gautrain
and other metro systems, and major road networks were improved. In March 2009, Danny Jordaan
, the president of the 2010 World Cup organising committee, reported that all stadiums for the tournament were on schedule to be completed within six months.
The country implemented special measures to ensure the safety and security of spectators in accordance with standard FIFA requirements, including a temporary restriction of flight operation in the airspace surrounding the stadiums.
At a ceremony to mark 100 days before the event, FIFA president Sepp Blatter praised the readiness of the country for the event.
2500 per month (about £
192, €
224 or US$313), but the unions alleged that some workers were grossly underpaid. A spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers
said to the SABC
that the "no work no pay" strike would go on until FIFA assessed penalties on the organisers. Other unions threatened to strike into 2011. The strike was swiftly resolved and workers were back at work within a week of it starting. There were no further strikes and all stadiums and construction projects were completed in time for the kick off.
420 million (including payments of US$40 million to domestic clubs), a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. Before the tournament, each of the 32 entrants received US$1 million for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, the prize money was distributed as follows:
In a first for the World Cup, FIFA made payments to the domestic clubs of the players representing their national teams at the tournament. This saw a total of US$40 million paid to domestic clubs. This was the result of an agreement reached in 2008 between FIFA and European clubs to disband the G-14
group and drop their claims for compensation dating back to 2005 over the financial cost of injuries sustained to their players while on international duty, such as that from Belgian club Charleroi S.C.
for injury to Morocco's Abdelmajid Oulmers
in a friendly game in 2004, and from English club Newcastle United
for an injury to England's Michael Owen
in the 2006 World Cup
.
, Cape Town
, Durban
, Johannesburg
(two venues), Kimberley
, Klerksdorp, Nelspruit
, Orkney
, Polokwane
, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria
, and Rustenburg
. This was narrowed down to the ten venues that were officially announced by FIFA on 17 March 2006.
The altitude of several venues affected the motion of the ball and player performance, although FIFA's medical chief downplayed this consideration. Six of the ten venues were over 1200m above sea level, with the two Johannesburg stadiums (Soccer City and Ellis Park) the highest at approximately 1750m. The stadiums in order of altitude are: Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadium
, 1753m; Royal Bafokeng Stadium
, 1500m; Free State Stadium
, 1400m; Peter Mokaba Stadium
, 1310m; Loftus Versfeld Stadium
, 1214m; Mbombela Stadium
, 660m; Cape Town Stadium, Moses Mabhida Stadium and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
near sea level.
As Soccer CityAs Green Point StadiumAs Durban Stadium
The following stadiums were all upgraded to meet FIFA specifications:
The group draw was staged in Cape Town
, South Africa, on 4 December 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre
. The ceremony was presented by South African actress Charlize Theron
, assisted by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke
. The balls were drawn by English
football star David Beckham
and African sporting figures Haile Gebrselassie
, John Smit
, Makhaya Ntini
, Matthew Booth
and Simphiwe Dludlu.
, three from the CAF
, six from CONMEBOL
, four from CONCACAF
, two from the OFC
and ten from UEFA
. English referee Howard Webb was chosen to referee the final, making him the first person to referee both the UEFA Champions League
final and the World Cup final in the same year.
, each team's squad for the 2010 World Cup consisted of 23 players. Each participating national association had to confirm their final 23-player squad
by 1 June 2010. Teams were permitted to make late replacements in the event of serious injury, at any time up to 24 hours before their first game.
Of the 736 players participating in the tournament, over half played their club football in five European domestic leagues; those in England (117 players), Germany (84), Italy (80), Spain (59) and France (46). The English, German and Italian squads were made up of entirely home based players, while only Nigeria had no players from clubs in their own league. In all, players from 52 national leagues entered the tournament. FC Barcelona
of Spain was the club contributing the most players to the tournament, with 13 players of their side travelling, 7 with the Spanish team, while another 7 clubs contributed 10 players or more.
In another first for South Africa 2010, one squad included three siblings. Jerry
, Johnny
and Wilson Palacios
made history thanks to their inclusion in Honduras’ 23-man list.
of six games, where each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same group. Teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and none for a defeat. The teams finishing first and second in each group qualified for the Round of 16.
The South American teams performed strongly, with all five advancing to the knockout stages (four as group winners). The overall performance of African teams on the first occasion that the continent hosted the event was judged disappointing by observers such as Cameroon great Roger Milla
. Of the six African nations only three won any matches, and only one (Ghana) progressed out of the first round.
Only six out of thirteen UEFA
teams progressed to the last sixteen, a record low since the round of 16 was adopted in 1986. Both of the finalists from the preceding tournament, France and Italy, were eliminated in the initial stage of the competition, the first time this has happened at a World Cup. New Zealand ended the tournament as the only undefeated team after drawing their three group matches, but they finished behind Paraguay
and Slovakia
and were eliminated.
Tie-breaking criteria
Teams were ranked on the following criteria:
The knockout stage
comprised the sixteen teams that advanced from the group stage of the tournament. There were four rounds of matches, with each round eliminating half of the teams entering that round. The successive rounds were the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. There was also a play-off to decide third and fourth place. For each game in the knockout stage, any draw at 90 minutes was followed by thirty minutes of extra time; if scores were still level, there was a penalty shootout to determine who progressed to the next round.
The round was marked by some controversial referees' decisions, including:
FIFA President Sepp Blatter
took the unusual step of apologising to England and Mexico for the decisions that went against them, saying "Yesterday I spoke to the two federations directly concerned by referees' mistakes [...] I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said thank you and accepted that you can win some and you lose some and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it." Blatter also promised to re-open the discussion regarding devices which monitor possible goals and make that information immediately available to match officials, saying "We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have the first opportunity in July at the business meeting." Blatter's call came less than four months after FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke
said the door was closed on goal-line technology and video replays after a vote by the IFAB
.
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after a 1–1 draw in which Ghana missed a penalty at the end of extra time.
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, Johannesburg
. Spain
defeated the Netherlands
1–0, with an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta
. Iniesta scored the latest winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final (116'). The win gave Spain their first World Cup title, becoming the eighth team to win it. This made them the first new winner without home advantage since Brazil in 1958, and the first team to win the global showpiece having lost their opening game.
A large number of fouls were committed in the final match. Referee Howard Webb
handed out fourteen yellow cards, more than doubling the previous record for this fixture, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986, and John Heitinga
of the Netherlands was sent off for receiving a second yellow card. The Netherlands had chances to score, most notably in the 60th minute when Arjen Robben was released by Wesley Sneijder
to be one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas
, only for Casillas to save the shot with an outstretched leg. For Spain, Sergio Ramos
missed a free header from a corner kick when he was unmarked. Iniesta finally broke the deadlock in extra time, scoring a side-footed shot from a pass by Cesc Fabregas
.
This result marked the first time that two different teams from the same continent had become world champions in succession, and saw Europe reaching ten World Cup titles, surpassing South America's nine titles. Spain became the first team since West Germany in 1974 to win the World Cup as European champions
. The result also marked the first time that a European nation had won a World Cup Finals that was not hosted on European soil.
A closing ceremony was held before the final, featuring singer Shakira
. Afterwards, the former South African President Nelson Mandela
made a brief appearance on the pitch, wheeled in by a motorcart.
South African winger Siphiwe Tshabalala
was the first player to score a goal in the competition, in their 1–1 draw against Mexico, the opening game of the tournament. Danish defender Daniel Agger
was credited with the first own goal
of the tournament, in his side's 2–0 loss to the Netherlands. Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuaín
was the only player to score a hat-trick
in the tournament, in Argentina's 4–1 win over South Korea. It was the 49th World Cup hat-trick in the history of the tournament.
Spain had the fewest goals scored in the World Cup tournament for a champion, with eight. The previous record low was 11, by Brazil
in 1994, England in 1966 and Italy in 1934. Spain had the fewest goal scorers for a champion as well (3). They also had the fewest goals conceded for a champion (2), equal with Italy (2006) and France (1998). Spain's victory marked the first time that a team won the World Cup without conceding a goal in the knockout stage.
The four top scorers in the tournament had five goals each. All of the four top scorers also came from the teams that finished in the top four, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, and Uruguay. The Golden Boot went to Thomas Müller
of Germany who had three assist
s, compared to one for the three others. The Silver Boot went to David Villa
of Spain, who played a total of 635 minutes, and the Bronze Boot to Wesley Sneijder
of the Netherlands, who played 652 minutes. Diego Forlán
of Uruguay had five goals and one assist in 654 minutes. A further three players scored four goals.
Only 145 goals were scored at South Africa 2010, the lowest of any FIFA World Cup since the tournament switched to a 64-game format. This continued a downward trend since the first 64-game finals were held 12 years earlier, with 171 goals at France 1998, 161 at Korea/Japan 2002 and 147 at Germany 2006.
Six of the eleven players came from the Spanish team, as did the coach. The remainder of the team comprised two players from Germany, and one from each of Brazil, the Netherlands and Uruguay.
for the 2010 World Cup was Zakumi
, an anthropomorphised leopard
with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name came from "ZA" (the international abbreviation
for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means "ten" in various African languages
. The mascot's colours reflected those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green.
" was performed by the Colombia
n singer Shakira
and the band Freshlyground
from South Africa, and is sung in both English and Spanish. The song is based on a traditional African soldiers' song, "Zangalewa
". Shakira and Freshlyground performed the song at the pre-tournament concert in Soweto
on 10 June. It was also sung at the opening ceremony
on 11 June and at the closing ceremony on 11 July.
, is named the Jabulani, which means "bringing joy to everyone" in Zulu
. It is the eleventh World Cup match ball made by the German sports equipment maker; it features eleven colours, representing each player of a team on the pitch and the eleven official languages of South Africa
. A special match ball with gold panels, called the Jo'bulani, was used at the final in Johannesburg
.
The ball is constructed using a new design, consisting of eight thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels. These are spherically moulded from ethylene-vinyl acetate
(EVA) and thermoplastic polyurethanes
(TPU). The surface of the ball is textured with grooves, a technology developed by Adidas called GripnGroove that is intended to improve the ball's aerodynamics. The design has received considerable academic input, being developed in partnership with researchers from Loughborough University
, United Kingdom. The balls are made in China, using latex bladders made in India, thermoplastic polyurethane-elastomer from Taiwan, ethylene vinyl acetate, isotropic polyester/cotton fabric, and glue and ink from China.
Some football stars have complained about the new ball, arguing that its movements are difficult to predict. Brazilian goalie Júlio César
compared it to a "supermarket" ball that favored strikers and worked against goalkeepers. Argentinian coach Diego Maradona
said "We won't see any long passes in this World Cup because the ball doesn't fly straight." However, a number of Adidas-sponsored players have responded favourably to the ball.
, a long horn blown by fans throughout matches. Many World Cup competitors complained about the noise caused by the vuvuzela horns, including France's Patrice Evra
, who blamed the horns for the team's poor performance. Other critics include Lionel Messi
, who complained that the sound of the vuvuzelas hampers communication among players on the pitch, and broadcasting companies, which complained that commentators' voices were being drowned out by the sound.
Others watching on television complained that the ambient audio feed from the stadium only contains the sounds of the vuvuzelas and the natural sounds of people in the stands are drowned out. A spokesperson for ESPN
and other networks said that they were taking steps to minimise the ambient noise on their broadcasts. The BBC
also investigated the possibility of offering broadcasts without vuvuzela noise.
dismissed concerns that the attack on the Togo national team which took place in Angola
in January 2010, had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup.
There were also reports of thefts against visitors to the country for the World Cup. Tourists from China, Portugal, Spain, South Korea, Japan and Colombia
had become victims of crime.
On 19 June after the match between England and Algeria a fan was able to break through the FIFA-appointed security staff at Green Point stadium and gain access to the England team dressing room. The breach took place shortly after Prince William and Prince Harry
had left the room. The trespasser was then released before he could be handed over to the Police. The English FA lodged a formal complaint with FIFA and demanded that security be increased. However the trespasser turned out to be a British journalist, this incident was orchestrated and involved the cooperation of a number of individuals. "The police strongly believe that the motive was to put the World Cup security in a bad light and possibly to profit from this act." Cele told reporters. The reporter was later identified as Simon Wright, a British journalist who works for the Sunday Mirror in the UK. Many South Africans had reasons to believe it was part of a plot.
As with many 'hallmark events' throughout the world, the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been connected to eviction
s, which many claim are meant to 'beautify the city', impress visiting tourists, and hide shackdwellers. On 14 May 2009, the Durban-based shack-dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo
took the KwaZulu-Natal government to court over their controversial Elimination and Prevention of Re-Emergence of Slums Act, meant to eliminate slums in South Africa and put homeless shackdwellers in transit camps in time for the 2010 World Cup.
Another prominent controversy surrounding preparations for the World Cup is the N2 Gateway
housing project in Cape Town
, which plans to remove over 20,000 residents from the Joe Slovo Informal Settlement along the busy N2 Freeway and build rental flats and bond-houses in its place in time for the 2010 World Cup. NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti-Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and said that the camp has been used to accommodate poor families evicted to make way for the 2010 World Cup.
However some have argued that evictions are ordinarily common in South Africa and that in the lead up to the tournament many evictions were erreonously ascribed to the World Cup.
Test match
, a South African airline, and some TV networks, all of whom were involved in various legal struggles with World Cup organisers.
During the tournament, group ticket-holders who did not utilise all their allotted tickets led to some early-round matches having as many as 11,000 unoccupied seats.
While the event did help to boost the image of South Africa, financially it turned out to be a major disappointment. Construction costs for venues and infrastructure amounted to £3 billion (€3.6 billion), and the government expected that increased tourism would help to offset these costs to the amount of £570 million (€680 million). However, only £323 million (€385 million) were actually taken in as 309,000 foreign fans came to South Africa, well below the expected number of 450,000.
Local vendors were prohibited from selling food and merchandise within a 1.5 kilometre radius of any stadium hosting a World Cup match. For a vendor to operate within the radius, a registration fee of R
60,000 (approximately to US$7,888 or €6,200), had to be paid to FIFA
. This fee was out of most local vendors' reach, as they are simple one-man-operated vendors. This prevented international visitors from experiencing local South African food. Some local vendors felt cheated out of an opportunity for financial gain and spreading South African culture, in favour of multinational corporations.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared the event "a huge financial success for everybody, for Africa, for South Africa and for FIFA," with revenue to FIFA of £2.24 billion (€2 billion).
.
New forms of digital media have also allowed viewers to watch coverage through alternative means. "With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet," said Jake Coyle of the Associated Press
.
In the United States, ABC
, ESPN
and ESPN2
averaged a 2.1 rating, 2,288,000 households and 3,261,000 viewers for the 64 World Cup games. The rating was up 31 percent from a 1.6 in 2006, while households increased 32 percent from 1,735,000 and viewers rose from 2,316,000. The increases had been higher while the US remained in the tournament. Through the first 50 games, the rating was up 48 percent, households increased 54 percent and viewers rose 60 percent. Univision
averaged 2,624,000 viewers for the tournament, up 17 percent, and 1,625,000 households, an increase of 11 percent. An executive of the Nielsen Company, a leading audience research firm in the US, described the aggregate numbers for both networks' coverage of the USA-Ghana match as "phenomenal". Live World Cup streaming on ESPN3.com pulled in some of the largest audiences in history, as 7.4 million unique viewers tuned in for matches. In total, ESPN3.com generated 942 million minutes of viewing or more than two hours per unique viewer. All 64 live matches were viewed by an average of 114,000 persons per minute. Most impressive were the numbers for the Spain-Germany semifinal, which was viewed by 355,000 people per minute, making it ESPN3.com’s largest average audience ever.
, Sony
has released a virtual space based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Japanese version of Home on 3 December 2009. This virtual space is called the "FevaArena" and is a virtual stadium of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, featuring different areas for events, a FIFA mini-game, and a shop with FIFA related content.
On 27 April 2010, EA Sports
released the official 2010 World Cup video game
.
, hosting in Sydney
, Berlin
, Paris
, Rome
, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City
, as well as several venues around South Africa. The Durban Fan Fest was the most popular in South Africa during the tournament followed by the Cape Town Fan Fest
.
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, selected South Africa over Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to become the first African nation to host the finals.
The matches were played in ten stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City
FNB Stadium
Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World...
stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
that began in August 2007. In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage
2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. It began on 26 June with the round of 16 matches, and ended on 11 July with the final match of the tournament held at Soccer City, Johannesburg, in which Spain beat the...
, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
.
In the final, Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, the European champions, defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
1–0 after extra time, with Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, the first time that a European nation has won the tournament outside its home continent. Host nation South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
world champions Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and 2006 runners-up France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
were all eliminated in the first round of the tournament. It was the first time that the hosts were eliminated in the first round.
Host selection
Africa was chosen as the host for the 2010 World Cup as part of a short-lived policy, abandoned in 2007, to rotate the event among football confederations. Five African nations placed bids to host the 2010 World Cup: EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and a joint bid from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
Following the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee not to allow co-hosted tournaments, Tunisia withdrew from the bidding process. The committee also decided not to consider Libya's solo bid as it no longer met all the stipulations laid down in the official List of Requirements.
The winning bid was announced by FIFA president Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
at a media conference on 15 May 2004 in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
; in the first round of voting South Africa received 14 votes, Morocco received 10 votes and Egypt no votes. South Africa, which had narrowly failed to win the right to host the 2006 event, was thus awarded the right to host the tournament.
During 2006 and 2007, rumours circulated in various news sources that the 2010 World Cup could be moved to another country. Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
, Horst R. Schmidt and, reportedly, some FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
executives, expressed concern over the planning, organisation, and pace of South Africa's preparations. FIFA officials repeatedly expressed their confidence in South Africa as host, stating that a contingency plan existed only to cover natural catastrophes, as had been in place at previous FIFA World Cups.
Qualification
The qualification draw for the 2010 World Cup was held in DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
on 25 November 2007. As the host nation, South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
qualified automatically for the tournament. As happened in the previous tournament
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, the defending champions were not given an automatic berth, and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
had to participate in qualification. With a pool of entrants comprising 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams at the time, the 2010 World Cup shares with the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
the record for most competing nations in a sporting event.
Some controversies took place during the qualifications. In the second leg of the play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland
France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off
The France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off, dubbed by the media as the Hand of Frog affair, was a controversial association football game played on 18 November 2009 in the Stade de France outside Paris between the national teams of France and the Republic of Ireland...
, French captain Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, unseen by the referee, handled the ball in the lead up to a late goal, which enabled France to qualify ahead of Ireland, sparking widespread controversy and debate. FIFA rejected a request from the Football Association of Ireland
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
to replay the match, and Ireland later withdrew a request to be included as an unprecedented 33rd World Cup entrant. As a result, FIFA announced a review into the use of technology or extra officials at the highest level, but decided against the widely expected fast-tracking of goal-line referee's assistants for the South African tournament.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
complained over Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
's winning goal in the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF playoff, while Egypt and Algeria's November 2009 matches
2009 Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute
There were disturbances before and after two international association football matches between Egypt and Algeria in November 2009, leading to diplomatic tensions between Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan...
were surrounded by reports of crowd trouble.
On the subject of fair play, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said:
The 2010 tournament was the first World Cup not to feature any team making its debut appearance (Slovakia had not previously appeared under that name, but is considered by FIFA to be a continuation of the Czechoslovakia team that last played in the 1990 tournament). North Korea qualified for the first time since 1966; Honduras and New Zealand were both making their first appearances since 1982, and Algeria were at the Finals for the first time since the 1986 competition.
List of qualified teams
The following 32 teams, shown with final pre-tournament rankings, qualified for the final tournament.AFC
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four assured qualifying berths for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not attempt to qualify...
(4) (20) (45) (105) (47)
CAF
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa...
(6) (30) (19) (27) (32) (21) (83) (hosts)
CONCACAF
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
The CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
(3) (38) (17) (14)
CONMEBOL
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL...
(5) (7) (1) (18) (31) (16)
OFC
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Oceania Football Confederation selected New Zealand to compete in a two-legged home-and-away playoff against Bahrain, the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation for a spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa...
(1) (78)
UEFA
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
(13) (36) (8) (9) (6) (13) (5) (4) (3) (15) (34) (25) (2) (24)
Preparations
Five new stadiums were built for the tournament, and five of the existing venues were upgraded. Construction costs were expected to be RSouth African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
8.4 billion (just over US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 billion or €950 million).
South Africa also improved its public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
infrastructure within the host cities, including Johannesburg's Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
and other metro systems, and major road networks were improved. In March 2009, Danny Jordaan
Danny Jordaan
Daniel Alexander "Danny" Jordaan is a South African sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, the first successful one for Africa. He also led their unsuccessful bid four years earlier for...
, the president of the 2010 World Cup organising committee, reported that all stadiums for the tournament were on schedule to be completed within six months.
The country implemented special measures to ensure the safety and security of spectators in accordance with standard FIFA requirements, including a temporary restriction of flight operation in the airspace surrounding the stadiums.
At a ceremony to mark 100 days before the event, FIFA president Sepp Blatter praised the readiness of the country for the event.
Construction strike
On 8 July 2009, 70,000 construction workers who were working on the new stadiums walked off their jobs. The majority of the workers receive RSouth African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
2500 per month (about £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
192, €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
224 or US$313), but the unions alleged that some workers were grossly underpaid. A spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers
National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa)
-External links:* official site....
said to the SABC
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
that the "no work no pay" strike would go on until FIFA assessed penalties on the organisers. Other unions threatened to strike into 2011. The strike was swiftly resolved and workers were back at work within a week of it starting. There were no further strikes and all stadiums and construction projects were completed in time for the kick off.
Prize money
The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
420 million (including payments of US$40 million to domestic clubs), a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. Before the tournament, each of the 32 entrants received US$1 million for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, the prize money was distributed as follows:
- US$8 million – To each team exiting after the group stage (16 teams)
- US$9 million – To each team exiting after the round of 16 (8 teams)
- US$14 million – To each team exiting after the quarter-finals (4 teams)
- US$18 million – Fourth placed team
- US$20 million – Third placed team
- US$24 million – Runner up
- US$30 million – Winner
In a first for the World Cup, FIFA made payments to the domestic clubs of the players representing their national teams at the tournament. This saw a total of US$40 million paid to domestic clubs. This was the result of an agreement reached in 2008 between FIFA and European clubs to disband the G-14
G-14
The G-14 was an organisation of European football clubs that existed between 2000 and 2008. It consisted of 14 teams initially, later expanded to 18...
group and drop their claims for compensation dating back to 2005 over the financial cost of injuries sustained to their players while on international duty, such as that from Belgian club Charleroi S.C.
R. Charleroi S.C.
Sporting du Pays de Charleroi is a Belgian football club based in the city of Charleroi, in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi plays in the Belgian Pro League and their current spell at the highest level in Belgian football has started in the 1985–86 season...
for injury to Morocco's Abdelmajid Oulmers
Abdelmajid Oulmers
Abdelmajid Oulmers is a professional footballer. He currently plays as a left midfielder for Panthrakikos.Oulmers is the subject of a major legal battle between football clubs and FIFA over the right to compensation for injuries sustained during international duty...
in a friendly game in 2004, and from English club Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
for an injury to England's Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
Venues
In 2005, the organisers released a provisional list of thirteen venues to be used for the World Cup: BloemfonteinBloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
(two venues), Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, Klerksdorp, Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
, Orkney
Orkney, North West
This article is about the mining town in South Africa. For other places with the same name, see Orkney .Orkney is a gold mining town with 157,324 inhabitants situated in the Klerksdorp district of the North West Province, South Africa....
, Polokwane
Polokwane
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, and Rustenburg
Rustenburg, North West
Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa...
. This was narrowed down to the ten venues that were officially announced by FIFA on 17 March 2006.
The altitude of several venues affected the motion of the ball and player performance, although FIFA's medical chief downplayed this consideration. Six of the ten venues were over 1200m above sea level, with the two Johannesburg stadiums (Soccer City and Ellis Park) the highest at approximately 1750m. The stadiums in order of altitude are: Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
, 1753m; Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
, 1500m; Free State Stadium
Free State Stadium
The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football...
, 1400m; Peter Mokaba Stadium
Peter Mokaba Stadium
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League...
, 1310m; Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
, 1214m; Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province....
, 660m; Cape Town Stadium, Moses Mabhida Stadium and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
near sea level.
| Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soccer City | Cape Town Stadium | Moses Mabhida Stadium | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... |
| 26°14′5.27"S 27°58′56.47"E | 33°54′12.46"S 18°24′40.15"E | 29°49′46"S 31°01′49"E | 26°11′51.07"S 28°3′38.76"E |
| Capacity: 84,490 | Capacity: 64,100 | Capacity: 62,760 | Capacity: 55,686 |
| Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
Port Elizabeth | ||
| Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... |
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... |
||
| 25°45′12"S 28°13′22"E | 33°56′16"S 25°35′56"E | ||
| Capacity: 42,858 | Capacity: 42,486 | ||
| Polokwane Polokwane Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population... |
Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... |
Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
| 23.924689°S 29.468765°E | 25.46172°S 30.929689°E | 29°07′02.25"S 26°12′31.85"E | 25.5786°N 27.1607°W |
| Peter Mokaba Stadium Peter Mokaba Stadium The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League... |
Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... |
Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... |
Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... |
| Capacity: 41,733 | Capacity: 40,929 | Capacity: 40,911 | Capacity: 38,646 |
 |
|||
As Soccer CityAs Green Point StadiumAs Durban Stadium
The following stadiums were all upgraded to meet FIFA specifications:
- Cecil Payne StadiumCecil Payne StadiumCecil Payne Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Roodepoort, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being brought up to FIFA standards....
- Dobsonville StadiumDobsonville StadiumDobsonville Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Soweto, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is mostly used for football matches, but is also equipped with an athletics track. It is the home ground of Moroka Swallows, a football club which plays in the Premier Soccer League...
- Gelvandale StadiumGelvandale StadiumGelvandale Stadium is a multi-use stadium located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches, as the home ground of National First Division club, Bay United. The stadium is also equipped with an athletics track....
- Giant StadiumGiant StadiumSoshanguve Giant Stadium, commonly referred to as Giant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Soshanguve, a suburb of Pretoria, South Africa. It is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being rebuilt in 2009...
- HM Pitje StadiumHM Pitje StadiumHM Pitje Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mamelodi, a suburb of City of Tshwane, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2009 and brought up...
- King Zwelithini StadiumKing Zwelithini StadiumKing Zwelithini Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Umlazi, a suburb of Durban, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and was initially set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2010 and brought up...
- Olympia Park StadiumOlympia ParkOlympia Park is a multi-purpose stadium located in Rustenburg, South Africa. Not to be cofused with the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, where 2010 FIFA World Cup games will be played, it is currently used mostly for football and rugby matches; it is set to be utilized as a training field for teams...
- Orlando StadiumOrlando StadiumOrlando Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Soweto, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The stadium was originally built in 1959, at a cost of £37,500, with a capacity of 24,000....
- Princess Magogo StadiumPrincess Magogo StadiumPrincess Magogo Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in KwaMashu, a suburb of Durban, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2009 and brought up to FIFA...
- Rabie Ridge StadiumRabie Ridge StadiumThe Rabie Ridge Stadium is located in Rabie Ridge, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after seating, change rooms, and stadium management facilities...
- Rand StadiumRand StadiumRand Stadium is a stadium in Rosettenville, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being completely rebuilt and reopened in August 2008....
- Ruimsig StadiumRuimsig StadiumRuimsig Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Roodepoort, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2009 and brought up to...
- Seisa Ramabodu StadiumSeisa Ramabodu StadiumSeisa Ramabodu Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2008 and brought up to FIFA...
- Sugar Ray Xulu StadiumSugar Ray Xulu StadiumSugar Ray Xulu Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Clermont, a township of Durban, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being renovated in 2010 and brought up to FIFA...
- Super Stadium
Final draw
The FIFA Organising Committee approved the procedure for the final draw on 2 December 2009. The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA World Ranking and seven squads joined hosts South Africa as seeded teams for the final draw. No two teams from the same confederation were to be drawn in the same group, except allowing a maximum of two European teams in a group.- Pot 1 (Seeds: host & top seven):
- South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
- Pot 2 (Asia, North/Central America and Caribbean & Oceania):
- Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Honduras, Mexico, United States, New Zealand
- Pot 3 (Africa & South America):
- Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
- Pot 4 (Europe):
- Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
The group draw was staged in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa, on 4 December 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre
Cape Town International Convention Centre
The Cape Town International Convention Centre is a convention centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The centre opened in June 2003. It hosted the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa...
. The ceremony was presented by South African actress Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
, assisted by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke
Jérôme Valcke
Jérôme Valcke is a French Manager and as of 27 June 2007 he is employed as the General Secretary of the international football federation in Zürich.- Career :...
. The balls were drawn by English
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
football star David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and African sporting figures Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
, John Smit
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
, Makhaya Ntini
Makhaya Ntini
Makhaya Ntini is a former South African cricketer who was the first ethnically black player to play for the South African team. A fast bowler, he tends to bowl from wide of the crease with brisk, although not express, pace...
, Matthew Booth
Matthew Booth (soccer)
Matthew Booth is a South African football defender who currently plays for Ajax Cape Town in the Premier Soccer League and South Africa.-International career:...
and Simphiwe Dludlu.
Referees
FIFA's Referees' Committee selected 29 referees through its Refereeing Assistance Programme to officiate at the World Cup: four from the AFCAsian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
, three from the CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
, six from CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
, four from CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
, two from the OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
and ten from UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. English referee Howard Webb was chosen to referee the final, making him the first person to referee both the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final and the World Cup final in the same year.
Squads
As with the 2006 tournament2006 FIFA World Cup squads
This article lists the confirmed national football squads for the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Germany, between 9 June and 9 July 2006. Before announcing their final squad, several teams named a provisional squad of 23 to 33 players, but each country's final squad of 23 players had to be...
, each team's squad for the 2010 World Cup consisted of 23 players. Each participating national association had to confirm their final 23-player squad
2010 FIFA World Cup squads
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was an international football tournament held in South Africa from 11 June until 11 July 2010. The 32 national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 23 players; only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.Before...
by 1 June 2010. Teams were permitted to make late replacements in the event of serious injury, at any time up to 24 hours before their first game.
Of the 736 players participating in the tournament, over half played their club football in five European domestic leagues; those in England (117 players), Germany (84), Italy (80), Spain (59) and France (46). The English, German and Italian squads were made up of entirely home based players, while only Nigeria had no players from clubs in their own league. In all, players from 52 national leagues entered the tournament. FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
of Spain was the club contributing the most players to the tournament, with 13 players of their side travelling, 7 with the Spanish team, while another 7 clubs contributed 10 players or more.
In another first for South Africa 2010, one squad included three siblings. Jerry
Jerry Palacios
Jerry Palacios is a Honduran football striker, who currently plays for Hunan Billows in China League One.-Career:He signed for Chinese Super League side Hangzhou Greentown in January 2010....
, Johnny
Johnny Palacios
Johnny Palacios is a Honduran football defender, who currently plays for Olimpia. His brothers are Milton, Jerry, Wilson and Edwin Palacios. On October 30, 2007 Edwin, aged 16, was kidnapped in La Ceiba....
and Wilson Palacios
Wilson Palacios
Wilson Roberto Palacios Suazo is a Honduran footballer who plays in the Premier League for Stoke City.Born in La Ceiba, he played for Victoria and Olimpia in Honduras before moving to England where he played for Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic. In 2009 he joined Tottenham Hotspur, generally...
made history thanks to their inclusion in Honduras’ 23-man list.
Group stage
The first round, or group stage, saw the thirty-two teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group was a round-robinRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
of six games, where each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same group. Teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and none for a defeat. The teams finishing first and second in each group qualified for the Round of 16.
The South American teams performed strongly, with all five advancing to the knockout stages (four as group winners). The overall performance of African teams on the first occasion that the continent hosted the event was judged disappointing by observers such as Cameroon great Roger Milla
Roger Milla
Roger Milla is a retired Cameroonian footballer who played as a striker. He was one of the first African players to be a major star on the international stage...
. Of the six African nations only three won any matches, and only one (Ghana) progressed out of the first round.
Only six out of thirteen UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
teams progressed to the last sixteen, a record low since the round of 16 was adopted in 1986. Both of the finalists from the preceding tournament, France and Italy, were eliminated in the initial stage of the competition, the first time this has happened at a World Cup. New Zealand ended the tournament as the only undefeated team after drawing their three group matches, but they finished behind Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
and were eliminated.
Tie-breaking criteria
Teams were ranked on the following criteria:
- 1. Greater number of points in all group matches
- 2. Goal difference in all group matches
- 3. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches
- 4. Greatest number of points in matches between teams
- 5. Goal difference in matches between teams
- 6. Greatest number of goals scored in matches between teams
- 7. Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee
| Key to colours in group tables | |
|---|---|
| Teams that advanced to the round of 16 | |
Group A
| 11 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Soccer City FNB Stadium Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 0 – 0 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
||
| 16 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 3 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
||
| 17 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 2 | Peter Mokaba Stadium Peter Mokaba Stadium The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League... , Polokwane Polokwane Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population... |
||
| 22 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... , Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
||
| 1 – 2 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
Group B
| 12 June 2010 | |||
| 2 – 0 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth |
||
| 1 – 0 | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 17 June 2010 | |||
| 4 – 1 | Soccer City FNB Stadium Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 2 – 1 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
||
| 22 June 2010 | |||
| 2 – 2 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
||
| 0 – 2 | Peter Mokaba Stadium Peter Mokaba Stadium The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League... , Polokwane Polokwane Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population... |
Group C
| 12 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... , Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
||
| 13 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Peter Mokaba Stadium Peter Mokaba Stadium The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League... , Polokwane Polokwane Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population... |
||
| 18 June 2010 | |||
| 2 – 2 | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 0 – 0 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
||
| 23 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth |
||
| 1 – 0 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
Group D
| 13 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
||
| 4 – 0 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
||
| 18 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth |
||
| 19 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... , Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
||
| 23 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Soccer City FNB Stadium Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 2 – 1 | Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... , Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... |
Group E
| 14 June 2010 | |||
| 2 – 0 | Soccer City FNB Stadium Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 1 – 0 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
||
| 19 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 0 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
||
| 1 – 2 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
||
| 24 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 3 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... , Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
||
| 1 – 2 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
Group F
| 14 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
||
| 15 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium Royal Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars... , Rustenburg Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
||
| 20 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 2 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
||
| 1 – 1 | Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... , Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... |
||
| 24 June 2010 | |||
| 3 – 2 | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 0 – 0 | Peter Mokaba Stadium Peter Mokaba Stadium The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League... , Polokwane Polokwane Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population... |
Group G
| 15 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 0 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth |
||
| 2 – 1 | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 20 June 2010 | |||
| 3 – 1 | Soccer City FNB Stadium Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
||
| 21 June 2010 | |||
| 7 – 0 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... |
||
| 25 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 0 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
||
| 0 – 3 | Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... , Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... |
Group H
| 16 June 2010 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... , Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... |
||
| 0 – 1 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... |
||
| 21 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 0 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth |
||
| 2 – 0 | Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... |
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| 25 June 2010 | |||
| 1 – 2 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final... , Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is... |
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| 0 – 0 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... |
Knockout stage
All times listed are South African Standard Time (UTC+02)The knockout stage
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
comprised the sixteen teams that advanced from the group stage of the tournament. There were four rounds of matches, with each round eliminating half of the teams entering that round. The successive rounds were the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. There was also a play-off to decide third and fourth place. For each game in the knockout stage, any draw at 90 minutes was followed by thirty minutes of extra time; if scores were still level, there was a penalty shootout to determine who progressed to the next round.
Round of 16
In this round, each group winner (A-H) was paired against the runner-up from another group.- South American teams again performed strongly in the round of 16, with four teams advancing to the quarter-finals including BrazilBrazil national football teamThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
who defeated fellow South American team ChileChile national football teamThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. - England's 4–1 loss to Germany was their worst ever defeat at a World Cup finals.
- Ghana defeated the United States to become the third African team to reach the last eight (after CameroonCameroon national football teamThe Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
and SenegalSenegal national football teamThe Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
in 20022002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
), and the only African team to have achieved both a top 8 finish and a separate top 16 finish (in 2006). - Paraguay and Ghana reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
The round was marked by some controversial referees' decisions, including:
- A disallowed goal by England in their 4–1 loss against Germany, where the shot by Frank LampardFrank LampardFrank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
was seen to cross the goal line when shown on television broadcast replays. - An allowed goal by Argentina in their 3–1 win over Mexico, where Argentine striker Carlos TévezCarlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
was seen to be offside when shown on television broadcast replays, which were shown inside the stadium shortly after the incident.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
took the unusual step of apologising to England and Mexico for the decisions that went against them, saying "Yesterday I spoke to the two federations directly concerned by referees' mistakes [...] I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said thank you and accepted that you can win some and you lose some and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it." Blatter also promised to re-open the discussion regarding devices which monitor possible goals and make that information immediately available to match officials, saying "We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have the first opportunity in July at the business meeting." Blatter's call came less than four months after FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke
Jérôme Valcke
Jérôme Valcke is a French Manager and as of 27 June 2007 he is employed as the General Secretary of the international football federation in Zürich.- Career :...
said the door was closed on goal-line technology and video replays after a vote by the IFAB
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
.
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Quarter-finals
The three quarter-finals between European and South American teams all resulted in wins for Europeans. Germany had a 4–0 victory over Argentina, and the Netherlands came from behind to beat Brazil 2–1, handing the Brazilians their first loss in a World Cup match held outside Europe (other than in a penalty shootout) since 1950. Spain reached the final four for the first time since 1950 after a 1–0 win over Paraguay. Uruguay, the only South American team to reach the semi-finals, overcame Ghana in a penalty shoot-outPenalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
after a 1–1 draw in which Ghana missed a penalty at the end of extra time.
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Semi-finals
The Netherlands qualified for the final for the third time with a 3–2 win over Uruguay. Spain reached their first ever final with a 1–0 victory over Germany. As a result, it was the first World Cup final not to include any of the four most successful nations: Brazil, Italy, Germany and Argentina.----
Third-place play-off
Germany defeated Uruguay 3–2 to secure third place. Germany holds the record for most third place finishes in the World Cup (4), while Uruguay holds the record for most fourth place finishes (3).Final
The final was held on 11 July 2010 at Soccer CityFNB Stadium
Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
defeated the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
1–0, with an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
. Iniesta scored the latest winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final (116'). The win gave Spain their first World Cup title, becoming the eighth team to win it. This made them the first new winner without home advantage since Brazil in 1958, and the first team to win the global showpiece having lost their opening game.
A large number of fouls were committed in the final match. Referee Howard Webb
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....
handed out fourteen yellow cards, more than doubling the previous record for this fixture, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986, and John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
of the Netherlands was sent off for receiving a second yellow card. The Netherlands had chances to score, most notably in the 60th minute when Arjen Robben was released by Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
to be one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
, only for Casillas to save the shot with an outstretched leg. For Spain, Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
missed a free header from a corner kick when he was unmarked. Iniesta finally broke the deadlock in extra time, scoring a side-footed shot from a pass by Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
.
This result marked the first time that two different teams from the same continent had become world champions in succession, and saw Europe reaching ten World Cup titles, surpassing South America's nine titles. Spain became the first team since West Germany in 1974 to win the World Cup as European champions
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
. The result also marked the first time that a European nation had won a World Cup Finals that was not hosted on European soil.
A closing ceremony was held before the final, featuring singer Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
. Afterwards, the former South African President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
made a brief appearance on the pitch, wheeled in by a motorcart.
Goalscorers
- For the full list of goalscorers, see 2010 FIFA World Cup Goalscorers
South African winger Siphiwe Tshabalala
Siphiwe Tshabalala
Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala is a South African professional footballer, who currently plays for Kaizer Chiefs.-Club career:...
was the first player to score a goal in the competition, in their 1–1 draw against Mexico, the opening game of the tournament. Danish defender Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
was credited with the first own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
of the tournament, in his side's 2–0 loss to the Netherlands. Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Gerardo "El Pipita" Higuaín is an Argentine professional footballer. He was born in France, attaining Argentine citizenship in 2007, and now holding dual nationality...
was the only player to score a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the tournament, in Argentina's 4–1 win over South Korea. It was the 49th World Cup hat-trick in the history of the tournament.
Spain had the fewest goals scored in the World Cup tournament for a champion, with eight. The previous record low was 11, by Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1994, England in 1966 and Italy in 1934. Spain had the fewest goal scorers for a champion as well (3). They also had the fewest goals conceded for a champion (2), equal with Italy (2006) and France (1998). Spain's victory marked the first time that a team won the World Cup without conceding a goal in the knockout stage.
The four top scorers in the tournament had five goals each. All of the four top scorers also came from the teams that finished in the top four, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, and Uruguay. The Golden Boot went to Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II...
of Germany who had three assist
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
s, compared to one for the three others. The Silver Boot went to David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
of Spain, who played a total of 635 minutes, and the Bronze Boot to Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
of the Netherlands, who played 652 minutes. Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
of Uruguay had five goals and one assist in 654 minutes. A further three players scored four goals.
Only 145 goals were scored at South Africa 2010, the lowest of any FIFA World Cup since the tournament switched to a 64-game format. This continued a downward trend since the first 64-game finals were held 12 years earlier, with 171 goals at France 1998, 161 at Korea/Japan 2002 and 147 at Germany 2006.
Discipline
28 players were suspended after being shown two consecutive yellow cards (13 players), a single red card (8 players), or a yellow card followed by a red card (7 players).Awards
- Golden Ball:
Diego ForlánDiego ForlánDiego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
(UruguayUruguay national football teamThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
) - Golden Boot:
Thomas MüllerThomas MüllerThomas Müller was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II...
(GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
) - Golden Glove:
Iker CasillasÍker CasillasIker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
) - Best Young Player: Thomas MüllerThomas MüllerThomas Müller was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II...
(GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
) - FIFA Fair Play Trophy:
All-Star Team
The All-Star Team was decided by an online public vote, in which people were invited to select a team (in a 4–4–2 formation) and best coach. Voting was open until 23:59 on 11 July 2010, with entrants going into a draw to win a prize.Six of the eleven players came from the Spanish team, as did the coach. The remainder of the team comprised two players from Germany, and one from each of Brazil, the Netherlands and Uruguay.
- Goalkeeper: Iker CasillasÍker CasillasIker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
) - DefendersDefender (association football)Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
: Sergio RamosSérgio RamosSérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
and Carles PuyolCarles PuyolCarles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
),
Maicon (BrazilBrazil national football teamThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
), Philipp LahmPhilipp LahmPhilipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern....
(GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
) - MidfielderMidfielderA midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
s: Andrés IniestaAndrés IniestaAndrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
and XaviXaviXavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
), Bastian SchweinsteigerBastian SchweinsteigerBastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
(GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
),
Wesley SneijderWesley SneijderWesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
(NetherlandsNetherlands national football teamThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
) - Forwards: Diego ForlánDiego ForlánDiego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
(UruguayUruguay national football teamThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
), David VillaDavid VillaDavid Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
) - CoachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
: Vicente del BosqueVicente Del BosqueVicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
(SpainSpain national football teamThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
)
Post-tournament team ranking
Shortly after the final, FIFA issued a final ranking of every team in the tournament. The ranking was based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition. The final ranking was as follows:Mascot
The official mascotFIFA World Cup mascot
Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot. World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition, was the first World Cup mascot, and one of the first mascots to be associated with a major sporting competition...
for the 2010 World Cup was Zakumi
Zakumi
Zakumi the Leopard was the Official Mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is a cheerful and sporty leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008...
, an anthropomorphised leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name came from "ZA" (the international abbreviation
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes are two-letter country codes defined in ISO 3166-1, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , to represent countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest...
for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means "ten" in various African languages
African languages
There are over 2100 and by some counts over 3000 languages spoken natively in Africa in several major language families:*Afro-Asiatic spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of the Sahel...
. The mascot's colours reflected those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green.
Official song
The official song of the 2010 World Cup "Waka WakaWaka Waka (This Time for Africa)
"Waka Waka " is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring South African band Freshlyground. It was the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with its Spanish language version, entitled "Waka Waka "...
" was performed by the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n singer Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and the band Freshlyground
Freshlyground
Freshlyground is a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members variously hail from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe...
from South Africa, and is sung in both English and Spanish. The song is based on a traditional African soldiers' song, "Zangalewa
Zamina mina (Zangalewa)
Tsamina or Zangaléwa is a 1986 hit song, originally sung by a makossa group from Cameroon called Golden Sounds who were beloved throughout the continent for the dances and costumes. The song was such a hit for Golden Sounds that they eventually changed their name to Zangaléwa, too. The song pays...
". Shakira and Freshlyground performed the song at the pre-tournament concert in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
on 10 June. It was also sung at the opening ceremony
2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony
The opening ceremony took place on 11 June at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, two hours before the opening match of the tournament. It lasted 40 minutes, and included 1500 performers, including Thandiswa Mazwai, Timothy Moloi, Hugh Masekela, Khaled, Femi Kuti, Osibisa, R...
on 11 June and at the closing ceremony on 11 July.
Match ball
The match ball for the 2010 World Cup, manufactured by AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, is named the Jabulani, which means "bringing joy to everyone" in Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
. It is the eleventh World Cup match ball made by the German sports equipment maker; it features eleven colours, representing each player of a team on the pitch and the eleven official languages of South Africa
Languages of South Africa
South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Fewer than one percent of South Africans speak a first language other than an official one. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Dutch and...
. A special match ball with gold panels, called the Jo'bulani, was used at the final in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
The ball is constructed using a new design, consisting of eight thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels. These are spherically moulded from ethylene-vinyl acetate
Ethylene-vinyl acetate
Ethylene vinyl acetate is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40%, with the remainder being ethylene....
(EVA) and thermoplastic polyurethanes
Thermoplastic polyurethanes
Thermoplastic polyurethanes are a class of polyurethane plastics with many useful properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease and abrasion...
(TPU). The surface of the ball is textured with grooves, a technology developed by Adidas called GripnGroove that is intended to improve the ball's aerodynamics. The design has received considerable academic input, being developed in partnership with researchers from Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, United Kingdom. The balls are made in China, using latex bladders made in India, thermoplastic polyurethane-elastomer from Taiwan, ethylene vinyl acetate, isotropic polyester/cotton fabric, and glue and ink from China.
Some football stars have complained about the new ball, arguing that its movements are difficult to predict. Brazilian goalie Júlio César
Júlio César Soares Espíndola
Júlio César Soares de Espíndola , commonly known as simply Júlio César, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A...
compared it to a "supermarket" ball that favored strikers and worked against goalkeepers. Argentinian coach Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
said "We won't see any long passes in this World Cup because the ball doesn't fly straight." However, a number of Adidas-sponsored players have responded favourably to the ball.
Vuvuzelas
The 2010 finals amplified international public awareness of the vuvuzelaVuvuzela
The vuvuzela , also known as lepatata Mambu , colloquially known in South Africa as "Moerstripper", is a plastic horn, about long, which produces a loud monotone note, typically around B3 . Some models are made in two parts to facilitate storage, and this design also allows pitch variation...
, a long horn blown by fans throughout matches. Many World Cup competitors complained about the noise caused by the vuvuzela horns, including France's Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra is a French international footballer who currently plays for English club Manchester United in the Premier League and the France national team. Originally an attacker, he primarily plays as a left back and is described as "the classic example of a modern full-back" who is...
, who blamed the horns for the team's poor performance. Other critics include Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, who complained that the sound of the vuvuzelas hampers communication among players on the pitch, and broadcasting companies, which complained that commentators' voices were being drowned out by the sound.
Others watching on television complained that the ambient audio feed from the stadium only contains the sounds of the vuvuzelas and the natural sounds of people in the stands are drowned out. A spokesperson for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and other networks said that they were taking steps to minimise the ambient noise on their broadcasts. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
also investigated the possibility of offering broadcasts without vuvuzela noise.
Event effects
Social
Tournament organiser Danny JordaanDanny Jordaan
Daniel Alexander "Danny" Jordaan is a South African sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, the first successful one for Africa. He also led their unsuccessful bid four years earlier for...
dismissed concerns that the attack on the Togo national team which took place in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
in January 2010, had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup.
There were also reports of thefts against visitors to the country for the World Cup. Tourists from China, Portugal, Spain, South Korea, Japan and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
had become victims of crime.
On 19 June after the match between England and Algeria a fan was able to break through the FIFA-appointed security staff at Green Point stadium and gain access to the England team dressing room. The breach took place shortly after Prince William and Prince Harry
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
had left the room. The trespasser was then released before he could be handed over to the Police. The English FA lodged a formal complaint with FIFA and demanded that security be increased. However the trespasser turned out to be a British journalist, this incident was orchestrated and involved the cooperation of a number of individuals. "The police strongly believe that the motive was to put the World Cup security in a bad light and possibly to profit from this act." Cele told reporters. The reporter was later identified as Simon Wright, a British journalist who works for the Sunday Mirror in the UK. Many South Africans had reasons to believe it was part of a plot.
Resettlement and eviction
Eviction
How you doing???? Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, eviction may also be known as unlawful detainer, summary possession, summary dispossess, forcible detainer, ejectment, and repossession, among other terms...
s, which many claim are meant to 'beautify the city', impress visiting tourists, and hide shackdwellers. On 14 May 2009, the Durban-based shack-dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo
Abahlali baseMjondolo
Abahlali baseMjondolo , also known as AbM or the red shirts is a shack-dwellers' movement in South Africa which is well known for its campaigning for public housing. The movement grew out of a road blockade organized from the Kennedy Road shack settlement in the city of Durban in early 2005 and now...
took the KwaZulu-Natal government to court over their controversial Elimination and Prevention of Re-Emergence of Slums Act, meant to eliminate slums in South Africa and put homeless shackdwellers in transit camps in time for the 2010 World Cup.
Another prominent controversy surrounding preparations for the World Cup is the N2 Gateway
N2 Gateway
The N2 Gateway Housing Pilot Project is a large housebuilding project under construction in Cape Town, South Africa. It has been labeled by the national government's former Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu as “the biggest housing project ever undertaken by any Government.” Even though it is a joint...
housing project in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, which plans to remove over 20,000 residents from the Joe Slovo Informal Settlement along the busy N2 Freeway and build rental flats and bond-houses in its place in time for the 2010 World Cup. NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti-Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and said that the camp has been used to accommodate poor families evicted to make way for the 2010 World Cup.
However some have argued that evictions are ordinarily common in South Africa and that in the lead up to the tournament many evictions were erreonously ascribed to the World Cup.
Economy
Some groups experienced complications in regards to scheduled sporting events, advertising, or broadcasting, as FIFA attempted to maximise control of media rights during the Cup. Affected parties included an international rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Test match
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
, a South African airline, and some TV networks, all of whom were involved in various legal struggles with World Cup organisers.
During the tournament, group ticket-holders who did not utilise all their allotted tickets led to some early-round matches having as many as 11,000 unoccupied seats.
While the event did help to boost the image of South Africa, financially it turned out to be a major disappointment. Construction costs for venues and infrastructure amounted to £3 billion (€3.6 billion), and the government expected that increased tourism would help to offset these costs to the amount of £570 million (€680 million). However, only £323 million (€385 million) were actually taken in as 309,000 foreign fans came to South Africa, well below the expected number of 450,000.
Local vendors were prohibited from selling food and merchandise within a 1.5 kilometre radius of any stadium hosting a World Cup match. For a vendor to operate within the radius, a registration fee of R
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
60,000 (approximately to US$7,888 or €6,200), had to be paid to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. This fee was out of most local vendors' reach, as they are simple one-man-operated vendors. This prevented international visitors from experiencing local South African food. Some local vendors felt cheated out of an opportunity for financial gain and spreading South African culture, in favour of multinational corporations.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared the event "a huge financial success for everybody, for Africa, for South Africa and for FIFA," with revenue to FIFA of £2.24 billion (€2 billion).
Quality
In a December 2010 Quality Progress, FIFA President Blatter rated South Africa's organisational efforts a nine out of 10 scale, declaring that South Africa could be considered a plan B for all future competitions. The South African Quality Institute (SAQI) assisted in facility construction, event promotion, and organisations. The main issue listed in the article was transportation.Broadcasting
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was expected to be the most-watched television event in history. Hundreds of broadcasters, representing about 70 countries, transmitted the Cup to a TV audience that FIFA officials expect to exceed a cumulative 26 billion people, an average of approximately 400 million viewers per match. FIFA estimated that around 700 million viewers would watch the World Cup final2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
.
New forms of digital media have also allowed viewers to watch coverage through alternative means. "With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet," said Jake Coyle of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
In the United States, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
averaged a 2.1 rating, 2,288,000 households and 3,261,000 viewers for the 64 World Cup games. The rating was up 31 percent from a 1.6 in 2006, while households increased 32 percent from 1,735,000 and viewers rose from 2,316,000. The increases had been higher while the US remained in the tournament. Through the first 50 games, the rating was up 48 percent, households increased 54 percent and viewers rose 60 percent. Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
averaged 2,624,000 viewers for the tournament, up 17 percent, and 1,625,000 households, an increase of 11 percent. An executive of the Nielsen Company, a leading audience research firm in the US, described the aggregate numbers for both networks' coverage of the USA-Ghana match as "phenomenal". Live World Cup streaming on ESPN3.com pulled in some of the largest audiences in history, as 7.4 million unique viewers tuned in for matches. In total, ESPN3.com generated 942 million minutes of viewing or more than two hours per unique viewer. All 64 live matches were viewed by an average of 114,000 persons per minute. Most impressive were the numbers for the Spain-Germany semifinal, which was viewed by 355,000 people per minute, making it ESPN3.com’s largest average audience ever.
Filming
Sony technology was used to film the tournament. 25 of the matches were captured using 3D cameras. Footage was captured in 3D through Sony's proprietary multi-image MPE-200 processors, housed in specially designed 3D outside broadcast trucks. It supplied its flagship HDC-1500 cameras as well as its new HDC-P1 unit, a compact, point-of-view (POV)-type camera with 3, 2/3-inch CCD sensors. The 3D games were produced for FIFA by Host Broadcast Services.Video games
In PlayStation HomePlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
has released a virtual space based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Japanese version of Home on 3 December 2009. This virtual space is called the "FevaArena" and is a virtual stadium of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, featuring different areas for events, a FIFA mini-game, and a shop with FIFA related content.
On 27 April 2010, EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
released the official 2010 World Cup video game
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game)
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the official video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, published by EA Sports.The game was announced on 26 January 2010 during a GameSpot interview with Simon Humber, one of the producers of the game, and released April 27, 2010 in North America...
.
FIFA Fan Fest
FIFA expanded the FIFA Fan FestFIFA Fan Fest
The FIFA Fan Fest is an event organized by FIFA which allows people to watch the FIFA World Cup in a sporting atmosphere instead of watching the games at home. Started in 2006, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, it was a great success, leading FIFA to expand it to include several cities...
, hosting in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, as well as several venues around South Africa. The Durban Fan Fest was the most popular in South Africa during the tournament followed by the Cape Town Fan Fest
World Cup 2010 FIFA Fan Fest in Cape Town
The World Cup 2010 FIFA Fan Fest was located at the Grand Parade in central Cape Town. The Fan Fest is said to have hosted 560,000 visitors throughout the tournament. The Fan Fest reportedly cost 22 million South African Rands to build and could accommodate up to 25,000 people....
.
See also
- Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album
- Paul the OctopusPaul the OctopusPaul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
- July 2010 Kampala attacksJuly 2010 Kampala attacksThe July 2010 Kampala attacks were suicide bombings carried out against crowds watching a screening of 2010 FIFA World Cup Final match during the World Cup at two locations in Kampala, Uganda, on , 2010. The attacks left 74 dead and 70 injured...
, a series of terrorist bombings in KampalaKampalaKampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, timed to coincide with the final match